McCOIST reckons Templeton can have a similar impact at Rangers to legend Davie Cooper after watching him run the show in the 3-0 home win over Clyde.

After all, as
a Rangers icon himself he had the pleasure of sharing a pitch with the likes of Davie Cooper, Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne.

Now, as Gers gaffer, McCoist believes he’s signed the next guy to get the punters off their seats in Govan.

David Templeton wowed the home crowd once again yesterday and proved to be the
catalyst for his side’s comfortable 3-0 victory over eighth-placed Clyde.

It moved McCoist’s men 12 points clear at the top of the Third Division as they racked up their ninth win on the spin.

Templeton created the first goal and scored the second with a strike that left his boss open-mouthed in disbelief in the dugout.

And
afterwards McCoist waxed lyrical about the wide man who cost him just £700,000 from Hearts and is named after Ibrox legend Cooper.

The Light Blues boss would never compare the 23-year-old with his late friend Coop.

However, he’s adamant that if the former Jambo continues to shine he can go on to become one of the club’s great entertainers.

He said: “David certainly sees things
like Davie used to do. When the ball comes to players like that, they are aware of what is going on around them. That in itself is a talent.

“Cooper would know where everyone on the park was when the ball came to him.

David Templeton celebrates his stunning strike against Clyde

“Now, I am not in any way, shape or form making a comparison between the two but Temps definitely sees things early on the park. You can see that in the goals he has scored.

“He’s still got a long way to go at Rangers. He is rightly getting a lot of praise at the moment and is coming good for us.

“He had a nine-week rest after the ankle injury he got at Annan but, to be fair, he is paying us back all right at the moment.

“I think you can see the relationship he is forming with the support, which will be very important to him.

“The
supporters have always had someone like that, whether it be a Cooper, a
Laudrup, a Gascoigne or whoever. They always had someone who was a bit special to them. I think Temps has got the potential to be that kind of person.”

Templeton got the ball rolling yesterday with a terrific pass for Lee Wallace to open the scoring 21 minutes in.

Then, after skinning Clyde captain Paul Hay 20 yards out, he curled a shot past keeper Jamie Barclay and into the top corner.

It was a moment that had 48,000 fans off their seats, while McCoist put his hands on his head in wonder on the touchline.

Rangers
chief executive Charles Green has promised the gaffer a £10million transfer kitty when the club’s signing embargo is up – and McCoist would
love to add a few more like Templeton to his squad.

He said: “That’s what Templeton brings to us. He can make something
happen. He’ll give the ball away as well but you have to accept that when players have great talent because they try things which won’t always come off.

“When
they do come off, they’re certainly worth waiting for, like his goal today. His pass for the Wallace goal was exceptional. And the second goal – you’ll struggle to see a better one all day.

“It was a magic goal on his right foot, a wonderful finish.

“If and when the opportunity arises to spend, I know the money has to be spent wisely.

“The team is absolutely fine for where we are at the moment – we are in a good position.

“But we don’t want to stay where we are, we have to keep moving.

“When that happens, then
hopefully we can get improvement in terms of the personnel coming in to help the boys who are here.”

Rangers’ charge towards the title is now looking like the stroll most people predicted in the summer but their manager is refusing to take anything for granted.

Next
up is Queen’s Park at Hampden, the type of venue that McCoist would love to see his side playing at more regularly in the future.

And,
despite their healthy lead at the top of the table, the Gers gaffer has
urged his players not to take their foot off the gas.

McCoist said:
“I certainly hope we run away with the league. But we’ll continue to treat every team with respect and look to win games on merit.

“I still think a big turning point was winning that first away game at Clyde. And the home performances and results have been excellent.

“We
have another tough game against Queen’s Park, one of the better teams in the league, but it’s at a place which I hope would suit us.

“We have to earn the right to run away with it and there’s a long way to go.

“It’s important to keep the momentum going because it has an effect on the opposition as well.

“When I think back to great Rangers teams, we always felt it was in the opposition’s head a bit, especially coming to Ibrox.

“We want teams to fear coming here and feel there’s potential to be on the end of a really poor result.

“We
can play better than we did today and we will. But at the same time, if
you take a step back and see a 3-0 victory at home, you have to be happy with it.